- Takumi Takahashi made Suzuka 8 Hours history, claiming a record-extending eighth victory as Honda HRC secured its fifth consecutive win in Japan’s legendary endurance race.
- Jack Miller, Andrea Locatelli and Katsuyuki Nakasuga finished second for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team, while BMW celebrated its first-ever Suzuka 8 Hours podium with third place.
- Torrential rain brought the race to an early finish behind the safety car, with Honda completing 188 laps to claim its 32nd overall victory at Suzuka.
Takumi Takahashi extended his own Suzuka 8 Hours record with an eighth victory as Honda HRC claimed a fifth consecutive win, while BMW celebrated a historic first podium finish at Japan’s legendary endurance race.
Takumi Takahashi has further cemented his place as the king of the Suzuka 8 Hours, claiming a record-extending eighth victory as Honda HRC secured a fifth consecutive win in Japan’s biggest endurance motorcycle race. Takahashi teamed up with six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea and MotoGP rider Somkiat Chantra aboard the #30 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP to complete 188 laps before torrential rain forced the race to finish behind the safety car.
The victory continues Honda’s remarkable dominance at Suzuka, delivering the manufacturer’s 32nd overall win in the iconic endurance event and extending its unbeaten run to five years.
While Honda ultimately enjoyed a comfortable margin of victory, the race remained fiercely contested for much of the eight hours. The AutoRace Ube Racing Team stayed within striking distance before fading late in the race, eventually finishing fifth after receiving a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for an incorrect pit stop procedure.
Second place instead went to the Yamaha Factory Racing Team of Katsuyuki Nakasuga, MotoGP race winner Jack Miller and World Superbike rider Andrea Locatelli, finishing one minute and 34 seconds behind the winning Honda.
Perhaps the biggest story outside Honda’s victory came from BMW. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, featuring Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal and Michael van der Mark, claimed third aboard the M 1000 RR, giving BMW its first-ever Suzuka 8 Hours podium and marking the first podium finish by a European manufacturer in the race’s history.
Defending endurance world champions Yoshimura SERT Motul endured a difficult afternoon, receiving a penalty for an incorrect refuelling procedure before finishing sixth, two laps behind the leaders.
French-based F.C.C. TSR Honda France also struggled throughout the race, eventually finishing 26th after losing significant ground during the opening half of the event.
Superstock honours for NCXX Racing
The Superstock class produced one of the closest battles of the race, with NCXX Racing with Riders Club taking victory after holding off Team Étoile BMW by just 14 seconds.
Wójcik Racing Team completed the podium in third, finishing only one second behind the BMW squad, while Champion-Hert Powered by MRP BMW claimed fourth.
Suzuki also had reason to celebrate, with the experimental Team Suzuki CN Challenge GSX-R1000R crossing the line seventh overall while winning the Experimental class. The machine competed using sustainable fuel and a range of recycled components as Suzuki continues developing environmentally focused racing technology.
Takahashi: “One of my goals”
Takahashi admitted beating longtime rival Katsuyuki Nakasuga made the victory even more special, with the Yamaha legend expected to retire at the end of the season.
“I’m very happy that our team won this race,” said Takahashi. “As you know, Nakasuga is retiring this year and I definitely did not want to lose to him here. Winning this race was one of my goals for that reason.”
He also praised his teammates and Honda’s pit crew after a race run in treacherous conditions.
“Jonathan was amazing in the wet and Somkiat helped the team all weekend. The pit stops and tyre changes were perfect. It was a great team effort.”
Locatelli described the rain-soaked race as one of the toughest he has experienced.
“Eight hours in the rain gets quite complicated. Every lap was difficult with changing grip levels, slower riders and standing water. We finished second again, but I think we deserved it because the team did an amazing job.”
For BMW’s Michael van der Mark, the historic podium was reward for months of work.
“We’ve been working really hard all winter. All three riders were fast from the moment we arrived at Suzuka. It’s a nice present for the whole team and for BMW to finally stand on the podium here.”
Race highlights
- Overall winner: Honda HRC (#30) – Takumi Takahashi, Jonathan Rea, Somkiat Chantra
- Winning distance: 188 laps
- Best lap: Jack Miller (Yamaha Factory Racing Team) – 2:16.034
- Superstock winner: NCXX Racing with Riders Club
- Experimental class winner: Team Suzuki CN Challenge
